PANTHERS TEAM NEWS CENTER

Still only 29, Kuechly could have returned as one of the best defensive players in the league this season, but he decided to quit while he was ahead when it came to injury. "During the season, it'll be player evaluation and then advance scouting stuff," Kuechly said of his new gig. "So if we play a team next week, we've got to get everything set up and ready to go, so when the coaches come in on Monday, they're not starting from square one." Kuechly has previously expressed an openness to coaching, and this could be just the first of many jobs he has on the other side of the line.